Nintendo announced that the 2003 Game Boy Advance Pokemon games would be getting a fancy remake for the 3DS back in May, and thankfully, the wait for their release has turned out to be much shorter than your average high-profile title. Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire will receive a simultaneous launch in Japan, North America, and Australia on November 21, with the European release following on November 28. Going by the release of Pokemon X & Y and many of Nintendo’s recent 3DS titles, it’s also likely that the games will be made available on the 3DS eShop the same day as their retail release.
To help make the wait for diehard fans easier, a demo will be made available on the eShop sometime prior to release. The information given from Nintendo makes it sound like the demo will follow in the lines of fellow 3DS RPG Bravely Default, as instead of just containing a portion of the main game, it will provide “gameplay that you won’t experience anywhere else,” as well as the ability to get an unspecified Pokemon that can be transferred into the full games, along with many of the items obtained in the demo. There will also be some kind of unique scenarios that become available if players return to the demo on a daily basis. Nintendo also said that codes will be obtainable for players to download the demo early, though how that will work has not been announced yet.
This seems like a much better way to do game demos, since those who might normally skip it and wait for the full game will have more of an incentive to try the sneak peek out and obtain some bonuses before the November launch. It remains to be seen just how substantial the rewards will be, but Pokemon fans planning to purchase either of the remakes might want to keep their eyes peeled for more information in the coming weeks.
We will continue to keep you updated on Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire as more news drops.